Critic Reviews

MobyRanks are listed below. You can read here for more information about MobyRank.

100

Daily Radar

EA Sports' NBA Live franchise continues its evolution on the PlayStation with its best effort yet. The controls and artificial intelligence are extremely solid, and the inclusion of 50 of the all-time greats from the 1950s through the 1990s is a super addition. The graphics do the aging console proud with excellent player models and smooth animations with nary a hint of slowdown. The dispersal Draft, One-on-One versus Michael Jordan and 3-Point Shootout features round out the package nicely. Only the slapped-on franchise mode and the sometimes grueling tasks required to unlock the NBA Legends for use in the season mode detract from this otherwise stellar effort.

PlayStation basketball fans that have been pleased with the Live series will buy this game and will most likely be pleased with the game and their purchase. I personally expect a LOT from my sports games, more so than any other genre. EA Sports has managed to meet my expectations with its NHL series and Madden NFL series. Live doesn't reach my lofty expectations. Though, it's still a solid and enjoyable gaming experience and I recommend it for any PlayStation owner looking to buy an NBA basketball game.

In the end, NBA Live 2000 is a good basketball game for the PlayStation. While it doesn't offer anything spectacular in graphics, control, or any one category, the game's overall feel and look is quite good. Fans of the NBA Live series will undoubtedly see it as the best iteration of the series yet for the PlayStation. The extras - like the arcade mode, one-on-one, and three-point contest - are nice and add to the game's value. Fans of previous versions of Live will have a good time.

If you're a die-hard NBA Live fan, then you'll probably want to pick this up if only for the updated rosters and the new One on One mode. New fans, however, should rent before buying. You might even want to look back to NBA Live '99, which is frankly a better game. NBA Live 2000, on the other hand, should be considering retirement.